CM Storm Stryker Case Review

Introduction:

Cooler Master is still one of my favorite case companies and the go to team for a solidly built case. I still love my old HAF 932 BE and I have gotten my hands on some pretty nice cases for review from CM as well. Today, however, we will be experiencing some déjà vu; some of you may remember a specific Cooler Master case, the CM Storm Trooper. I reviewed it back in October of 2011, so almost a year ago. On this lovely day we'll be taking an up-close and personal look at its milky sibling. Many of you, as well as myself, had expected a "Trooper" to be a white case with black accents to play off our favorite enemy troops; though the amazing black beauty of a case didn't disappoint. After a little work, the CM team decided to come out with a white version after all: the CM Storm Stryker.

At CES last year, I met with some members of the CM team where we discussed the Trooper, as well as the Stryker. At the time, the concepts were still being debated as exactly what the company would do – whether it would be an exact replica in white or if there would be a bit of style change done with the case. The big question on the table then was glossy or matte finish. I opted for the matte of course, but with it here today, it seems the glossy fans outnumbered me. CM had some difficulties at the time with color matching the different white painted parts, but it seems CM got it right. Let's take a look at this Stryker case and see what differences there actually are between it and its slightly aged sibling, the Trooper. For those of you who need a refresher on the Trooper, here's a link.

Closer Look:

In essence, the box is the same as before, with a few modifications: an image of the case on the lettering below "CM STORM STRYKER", as well as a "High Speed USB 3.0 and 2.5" SSD support" sticker that takes up the upper-right portion of the box, while a massive tank takes on the near-watermarked background. Turning it around to the back side, there are eight different languages bragging about some of the features. The uber white fans really stand out to me and I'm looking forward to getting a real look at them. Both the frame and blades are white, making them really pop out against some of the black in the case. It still has the sturdy handle on top and just about all the features from the Trooper…it's just white.

I’m happy to have a box with handles again – a lot of cases these days seem to be shipped in boxes without handles. This being a heavier case, I appreciate a method for getting it in the house without unpacking it first. The sides of the box, beyond the handle holds, go on to list specifications and provide another look at the case. It also has the marking for exactly what case you ordered: mine says it's the "without window side panel" model (the other options are all PSU options).

Cutting open the box, I'm a bit closer to seeing the whiteness of the beast. I slice it open with a knife and find a nice little plastic-wrapped case with foam end caps. The weight of the case itself is a bit heavier than I recalled, but pulling it out of the box was a little easier with the handle on top. I only wish I were a bit taller to clear the box. However, I was surprised to find that I did indeed get the windowed version of the case and not as the box was marked. Bonus!

Enough with the packing already – I'm sure most of you are ready to see the case now. So let's get to it!